Every year Forbes releases its list of the deadliest jobs in America. While all jobs have risks, some jobs can be downright fatal. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries recorded 4,383 fatal work injuries in 2012 alone. Unfortunately, many Seattle workers are currently employed in deadly jobs and take extraordinary risks to support their families. When they are injured or killed, where can they turn?

An experienced and skilled Seattle workers’ compensation lawyer may be needed to help you understand your disability benefits and worker’s compensation benefits to ensure that you receive all the compensation to which you are entitled. If a third-party is responsible for your on-the-job injuries, then we can also help you file a lawsuit against the negligent person.

Top 5 Deadliest Jobs in America

#1 Deadliest Job – Logging Workers

62 loggers are killed nearly every year at a rate of 127.8 per 100,000 full-time loggers. Lumberjacks, also known as loggers, are responsible for harvesting, cutting, and transporting timber across the United States. These workers take extraordinary risks to provide for their families and bring in only $35,149 on average per year.

#2 Deadliest Job – Fisherman and Fisherwomen

if you’ve watch Deadliest Catch on TV, you know just how dangerous this job can be. More than 30 fishermen lose their lives every year in a variety of deadly accidents. This amounts to a rate of 117 per 100,000 full-time workers. In particular, cold-water fishing, such as Alaskan shell fishing, can be more dangerous than others.

#3 Deadliest Job – Airplane Pilots

These are not always the “friendly skies” and every year over 70 pilots and flight engineers are killed on the job. This is an estimated rate of 53.4 per 100,000 full-time workers.

#4 Deadliest Job – Roofers

Working on roofs is a brutal job and exposure to heights and severe summer heat creates dangers for all construction roofing professionals. In 2012, more than 70 roofers died in accidents across the United States. This is a rate of 40.5 per 100,000 full-time workers.

#5 Deadliest Job – Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Iron and steel workers are responsible for molding, setting, and handling metal construction materials on all types of construction projects. Enormous heights combined with handling heavy materials makes this job one of the most deadly. In 2012, 22 iron and steel workers were killed, an average of 37 per 100,000 full-time workers.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have questions about your worker’s compensation benefits or long-term disability benefits after an accident, contact the worker’s compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm. We can help you after a serious on-the-job injury. Call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The worker’s compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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Long-term disability insurance companies usually do not want to pay claims. As such, they aggressively and unscrupulously investigate injured workers in an attempt to deny claims. They often follow a claimant and monitor their day-to-day activities. This can include such tasks as taking out the trash or walking their dog. They then use photographic evidence to establish proof that the injured worker is not able to collect on their long-term disability benefits.

Unfortunately, this photographic “proof” rarely shows the complete picture. Injured workers often try to resume some of their daily activities, in an attempt to maintain some type of quality of life. While the photos may show the injured worker taking out the trash, they fail to show how much the injured applicant suffers later for performing these activities. Many injured clients can perform one or even two daily activities, but then are in pain the remainder of the day.

Long-term disability companies will stop at nothing to avoid paying disability claims. As such, you need an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney on your side to fight for you. Disability companies are unscrupulous and will often ask claimants for information when filing disability claims that they later use against them. They may even request that you sign releases that can help them investigate you later.

From the moment you are injured on the job, a worker’s compensation lawyer can ensure that disability companies do not take advantage of you. If you have been unfairly denied disability or if you have a disability hearing pending, it is extremely important to have legal representation. LTD insurers know that injured workers don’t always understand their benefits and how to successfully file for disability. They then use this knowledge to gain an unfair advantage.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have been denied long-term disability after an accident on the job, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The worker compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington. 

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Electrical worker burn victimJacob Adams of Anchor Point is currently being treated at Harborview Burn Center for burn injuries he sustained on the job. The 33-year-old Homer Electrical Association lineman was performing maintenance work on electrical equipment on Timmerman Court with two other linemen when he received a significant electrical shock. The two other linemen performed emergency medical care until the paramedics arrived. While he was conscious and alert, he was badly burned and was flown by a LifeMed fixed wing airplane to Seattle immediately.

HEA spokesperson Joe Gallagher said that the HEA linemen followed emergency protocol and that they were highly trained professional linemen. While there were unaware as to how the accident occurred, HEA has started an investigation into the incident and are working closely with Jacob’s family.

Electrical workers take a risk every time they work in the field. Electrical burns and electrocution injuries are very real and occur more frequently than many realize. The effects of an electrical burn can be damaging and depend largely on the path the electrical current takes through the body. High voltage electricity can severely burn tissue, damage organs, injure bones, and cause heart dysfunctions. Electrical injuries can also cause cataract formation, neurological damage, and kidney failure.

Injured electrical burn victims will need a Seattle worker’s compensation lawyer on their side to ensure that they receive the amount of compensation they need to fully recover. If the employer’s negligence led to the burn injury, then Seattle workers may be able to file a lawsuit against the company for further damages.

Even after horrific electrical burn accidents, many employers may try to deny worker’s compensation benefits or rush injured workers back too soon. They often entice workers back to the job, only to terminate their worker’s compensation benefits and reduce liability.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Lawsuit Attorneys

If you have been injured on the job in Seattle, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The worker’s compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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Cold Weather On-The-Job-InjuriesIf your job is outdoors, the cold weather can be downright dangerous and can cause serious on-the-job injuries. While all Seattle employers should be vigilant about protecting their workers from freezing temperatures, sadly many do not. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has outlined several ways employers can protect their employees from the effects of the cold, yet many Seattle-based employers do not follow these tips. The results can be devastating for employees and their families.

OSHA’s Recommended Tips to Protect Workers in Cold Environments:

OSHA’s Cold Stress Card is a reference card with recommendations to prevent and combat cold-weather injuries. Some of their tips include:

  • Surveying the workplace for conditions that may be dangerous
  • Learn the signs of cold-induced illnesses and injuries
  • Train workers to recognize those signs
  • Encourage all workers to wear proper clothing for cold, windy and rainy weather—especially layers of clothing
  • Allow workers to take frequent short breaks in warm dry shelters
  • Schedule work for the warmest portion of the day
  • Avoid overworking employees
  • Allow workers to work in a buddy system so they can monitor each other for warning signs
  • Drink warm sweet beverages
  • Eat warm foods
  • Monitor workers who have health conditions or heart conditions closely in cold weather

Prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, especially below freezing ones, can cause serious health problems, including frostbite, trench foot, and hypothermia. Immersion in cold water or extremely prolonged exposure can even result in death. It is important for all employers, managers, and workers to know the warning signs of cold weather illness, including:

  • Uncontrolled shivering
  • Slurred speech
  • Clumsy movements
  • Fatigue
  • Confused behaviors
  • Numbness or tingling of extremities
  • Pain and swelling in feet or hands
  • Weak pulse
  • Shallow breathing
  • And more

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have been injured on the job and have questions regarding your worker’s compensation, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The workers’ compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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Most people look at road construction as an inconvenience, simply something that gets in their way of getting to work and school on time. As a consequence, they speed through construction zones completely disregarding warning signs, putting the safety of road construction workers in jeopardy.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation, road construction workers have a very dangerous job. Every year, more than 20,000 people are victims of work-related injuries in construction zones. Twelve percent of those injuries can be traced back to car accidents or other transportation-related incidents. Furthermore, traffic incidents were responsible for 76 percent of construction zone occupational fatalities in 2011 as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that, in the United States in 2010, car accidents were a factor in 576 construction zone deaths of both construction workers and motor vehicle occupants. Of these fatalities, 20 percent were attributed to intoxicated driving, and speeding was a factor in 31 percent of the deaths. The most common type of work-zone accidents was rear-end collisions.

Road construction workers put their lives at risk every time they go to work repairing our traffic and weatherworn streets and highways. These workers deserve to feel safe on the job as the rest of us. The following are some ways drivers can help make road workers’ jobs less dangerous:

  • Always obey the posted work zone speed limit. If conditions warrant it, consider going even slower
  • Never operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or mind-altering prescription medications
  • Stay aware of the other vehicles on the road, and leave enough room so that you can make quick stops if you need to
  • Avoid distractions when you enter a work zone. Turn down the radio, avoid distracting conversations, refrain from making phone calls, eating, changing a CD or any other activity that takes your eyes and mind off the road

Seattle Personal Injury Lawsuit Attorneys

If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident anywhere in Seattle or throughout the State of Washington, the personal injury lawsuit attorneys at Phillips Law Firm can help. We can fight aggressively to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation after a devastating accident. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our personal injury lawsuit attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

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Washington State is one of the four states in the U.S. that has a state run workers compensation program, Washington State Labor and Industries (L&I). It has come under pressure in the last few years as private insurers and giant companies in the state pump money into efforts to privatize the system. Now, some disturbing statistics have come out that may help their effort.

According to an investigation conducted by KEPR TV in Tri-Cities, Washington State had the most work-related injuries last year out of any state in the country. Their investigation revealed that 52 people died in a work related incident last year, nearly twice the national average.

This statistic also includes thousands of workers who were personally injured in various accidents from everything ranging from falls to chemical burns. The investigators confirm that many of the accidents occurred in Eastern Washington at jobs involving manual labor.

But, why are these happening and what are state regulators doing about it?

Why Is This Happening?

This is where it gets a little complicated. The reason why there is so much pressure on the L&I over privatization is over the fact that rates for workers compensation has been steadily rising for employers since 2007 as state revenue has begun to dwindle and a mounting number of employers default on their premiums.

In fact, 2012 is the first year that the agency has confirmed that there will be no increases in what employers pay for workers compensation. This suggests that they have finally covered shortfalls in the funding, however, those who work closely with injured workers and workplace safety advocates suggest that this has perhaps come at the cost of employee safety.

Cuts in the number of inspectors has been deep and some suggest that this has caused workplace safety standards to falter. You see, the national standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are generally enforced by OSHA inspectors. Washington is an exception to this, as L&I sends out their own inspectors to sites such as the Tesoro plant explosion that claimed 7 workers.

These kinds of incidents are well publicized and garner a huge reaction, but thousands of injuries at construction sites and farms around the state remain barely investigated. In some cases, when the injury involves an immigrant, they will go unreported.

What Is Being Done?

Unfortunately, the problem with low resources means that much of what is done is reactionary instead of proactive, so many of the new rules implemented by L&I come after the fact. Some of the new rules this year involve:

  • Rules regulating the safety of cranes.
  • Rules surrounding handling of hazardous material.
  • Rules regarding training in hospitals and pharmacies specifically if working with chemotherapy drugs.

Aside from hiring new inspectors, L&I has decided to focus its resources on enforcing dead-beat employers and the care workers receive in order to get worker back to work faster. Thus, this pumps more money into the organization and costs them less in output rather than addressing the problem at the source. However, these policies have resulted in a promising project known as L&I’s Centers of Occupational Health and Education (COHE). COHEs are community-based organizations that work with medical providers to encourage the best ways to treat injured workers.

This whole program sprouted out of research published in the December 2011 issue of the American Public Health Association journal. Dr. Gary Franklin, medical director for the L&I), was one of the researchers involved in the study; Dr Thomas Wickizer, Ohio State University, College of Public Health, was the lead investigator.

L&I teamed up with physicians in Washington and throughout the country, health care researchers at the University of Washington, as well as business and labor leaders to find the “best practices” of helping workers in the first 12 weeks after a work-related injury.

These “best practices” focus on the safe, healthy return of injured workers to full function and full employment. Examples of best practices include:

  • Promptly filing the workers’ compensation claim.
  • Phoning the employer to talk about the worker’s ability to return to work or a light-duty job.
  • Regularly assessing a worker’s ability to do work activities.

The study found that when injured workers are treated using COHE best practices, they had 19.7% fewer disability days than other injured workers receiving treatment, and a reduction in total disability and medical costs of $510 per claim. Workers suffering from back strain had a reduction in disability days of 29.5%.

“We’re especially encouraged that the outcomes for workers with low-back strain were significantly better,” said Dr. Franklin. “Lower-back strain is a costly and common disabling condition in workers’ compensation.”

Currently, four COHE sites serve 2,000 providers and hundreds of employers, treating about one-third of injured workers in Washington. The findings of the study led to new legislation 2011 that will expand access to COHEs to all injured workers in the state by 2015.

Washington Workers Compensation Lawyers

It is clear that the efforts of L&I is successfully bringing in money and turning around some forecasting oversights. However, the new statistics are disheartening. Workplace safety is our priority, but that doesn’t specifically mean that privatization is the answer. L&I has proven to be a very effective and sustainable organization with a good safety enforcement track record in the past. It is only with renewed dedication by legislators that Washington State can have a fully functional public worker’s compensation system.

Phillips Law Firm has a team of legal professionals dedicated to seeking just compensation for workers injured on the job. Our workers compensation attorneys will look at your case for free and give you options on what you need to do to move forward. Call Phillips Law Firm now for a free consultation.

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